A Chris Douglas-Roberts Trade & Greg Monroe Adds More Crazy To The Past 12 Hours
Jun 22, 2010 2010 Draft, 2010 Offseason, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Rumors, Trades
At around noon today, I was on The Basketball Jones’ live mock draft (yeah, I am still bragging about that) talking about how Derrick Favors to the Nets was pretty much a sure thing. After that, the crazy started. First, there were multiple reports that the Nets were leaning towards drafting Syracuse SF Wesley Johnson. That has now seemed to settle down, with some reports saying that Johnson is simply just in the conversation with Derrick Favors.
With things starting to become relatively calm once again, Dave D’Alessandro decided to shake things up again with his report that he put out tonight around 10. Apparently Cousins is now out of the conversation:
“Cousins has great hands and great feet, and he knows how to play,” Thorn said. “But you know, it’s a leap of faith there to suggest that he can play the 4. He can shoot the ball well, and he can face the basket. But I don’t think he’ll take it from 20 feet and go by people, and defensively it could be even more of a problem.”
In their internal discussions, the Nets have concluded that in spite of Cousins’ great talent, it would be very hard for him to complement Brook Lopez as the full-time power forward unless he trimmed down to 265 pounds — and he might have enough trouble getting down to 275.
So things simplified? Not so fast, there is now a new big man that the Nets are considering. His name is Greg Monroe:
It just means Thorn is in the mood to confuse everybody by suggesting that Greg Monroe of Georgetown is now also in the mix.
“We like Monroe a lot,” Thorn said, when reviewing his short list today. “He’s a lot different than Derrick Favors. He has an all-around game — left hand, right hand, great size. So I don’t think you (eliminate him) by any stretch. Monroe’s looking very good to us.”
That’s not the only news made tonight either. Chad Ford is reporting in his newest post to the TrueHoop blog that the Nets have dealt Chris Douglas-Roberts to the Bucks for a second round pick:
Finally, it looks like the Bucks aren’t done dealing. This afternoon they traded Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell to the Warriors for Corey Maggette. Now sources say that the Bucks and Nets are in serious negotiations on a deal that would send Chris Douglas-Roberts to the Bucks for a second round pick. With the addition of Maggette and Douglas-Roberts, you have to wonder if the Bucks may look at something other than a wing with the No. 15 pick in the draft.
That puts this CDR tweet in perspective now. 10 hours ago, he tweeted:
Got news for yall later! Yall ready for this??? Ahhahaaahaha. I jus can’t hide it. FTD. Yes yess! FTD yes yess!
FTD meaning Fear The Deer. Well then. I have never denied Chris Douglas-Roberts talents, and I think when he wants to be, he is one of the better pure scorers in the NBA. To me, it just seems that the Nets were fed up with his off the court issues and were getting rid of him anyway (the Nets had until late in the month to decide whether or not they wanted to pick up his option) and they took what they could get for him, and that was a second round pick. The Nets now have four picks in this draft (two first rounders and two second rounders).
There has been a lot of action over in Nets-land, and the draft isn’t even until Thursday, so don’t expect for everything to be over and done with (especially with the four picks the Nets have). Hold on guys, this is going to be a wild ride…
Bringing Back Chris Douglas-Roberts A Tough Decision For The Nets
May 25, 2010 2010 Free Agents, 2010 Offseason, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Roster Moves
Chris Douglas-Roberts is a tremendous talent, there is no denying that. If the decision to pick up Chris Douglas-Roberts (the team has to execute an option on the final year for CDR’s 3 year deal by June 30th) was purely as basketball one, the Nets would do it in a heartbeat. He would be making under a million dollars and for a team looking to spend a ton of money in Free Agency, CDR is a huge bargain.
With all of the headaches that he causes off the court, however, the Nets may end up deciding that he isn’t worth the $854,389 he is due to make next season.
Last year was an interesting one for CDR. It started at summer league, where he played very well at the 2-guard position. That lead many people (including myself) to say he should come off the bench, instead of playing at SF. However, he proved all the “haters” wrong right off the bat, averaging nearly 20 points a game during the first two months of the season. He was being mentioned as an early candidate for the Most Improved Player award, and rightfully so.
Why Evan Turner Is The Number One Pick For The Nets
May 13, 2010 2010 Draft, 2010 Free Agents, 2010 Offseason, Brook Lopez, Carlos Boozer, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Courtney Lee, Devin Harris, Draft, Draft Lottery, Evan Turner, Free Agents, HOPE!, John Wall, Mikhail Prokhorov, Opinion, Rod Thorn, Terrence Williams
There is no questioning that John Wall is an excellent talent and NBA prospect. Ask anyone that watches basketball and they will tell you in no uncertain terms that he’s phenomenal, an athletic freak, and quite the dancer. My NAS colleague, Devin, praises Wall and makes excellent points about Wall’s game. However, if I were the New Jersey Nets, I’d select Evan Turner if the Nets’ luck is as good as a picture of a bikini-clad Jessica Alba and the team wins next week’s NBA Draft Lottery. Turner is as versatile as they come and many consider Wall and Turner, Pick 1A and 1B, but we’ll get down to Turner and his skill set a bit later. First, let’s peep the point guard that most people think is no longer in the Nets’ plans and seemingly expendable.
Oh, and for the record, the Nets have a 25% chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery and receiving the first overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft and I have a -25% chance of gaining any attention from the aforementioned Alba. Snowball meet hell.
Year-In-Review: Chris Douglas-Roberts
Apr 30, 2010 2009-2010 Season Review, Chris Douglas-Roberts
This offseason is going to be an exciting one for the New Jersey Nets, but before we can move forward we must look back. Over the next couple of days, I am going to be looking at the Nets who will (most likely) be back, and review their year, from what they did well to what they didn’t. Today we are going to look at the Nets’ Most Enigmatic Player, Chris Douglas-Roberts.
We have been splitting up these year in review posts by splitting up the positives and the negatives. For CDR we are going to do something different. We are going to break it up between the CDR from the first 32 games and the CDR of the remaining 50 games.
The First 32 Games
During these first 32 games, CDR was a revelation. He was able to build on his strong finish during his rookie year and earned himself a starting job, one that he really took advantage of. CDR has an awkward game, and while some may see that as a diss, I think of this as a good thing. His high dribble and length really gave defenders a problem, and when he was determined to take it to the basket, he got there easily:
The activity not only on the offensive end, but on the defensive end is really what excited me about CDR the player through these first 30 or so games.
NAS Awards: Most Enigmatic – Chris Douglas-Roberts
Apr 28, 2010 Chris Douglas-Roberts, NAS Off-Season Awards
There is something about Chris Douglas-Roberts that makes the homer Nets fan in me want to root for him. Maybe it’s because he’s always found a way to defy his doubters, as Ben Couch aptly put it in his latest column:
At 22 years old, having completed his sophomore season at basketball’s highest level, Douglas-Roberts has long been overcoming skepticism with outstanding results, though most often it’s centered on whether his herky-jerky offensive game will translate to another talent plateau. There is a pattern here: he succeeds, that success is questioned, he is downgraded, he adjusts and succeeds anew.
But I think even the biggest CDR fan could admit that the player known as “Fresh” made it difficult to support him for stretches this past season. There are theories aplenty as to why Douglas-Roberts’ production and playing time dropped off significantly as the season wore on – lack of aggressiveness, bad relations with coach Kiki Vandeweghe, the emergence of Terrence Williams. NAS and other beat writers have written thousands upon thousands of words dissecting CDR’s play and quirky characteristics. And the bottom line is no one can definitively say whether or not CDR will ever play a permanent role with the Nets. That’s why he’s the recipient of the “Most Enigmatic” award.
Nets on the Net: 4/20/10 Edition
Apr 20, 2010 Brooklyn, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Coaching, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net, Rod Thorn
The buzz around the organization the last 24 hours has been Rod Thorn, who looks to be staying on as team president once Mikhail Prokhorov takes over.
Here’s Ben Couch with the video of Rod.
From Al Iannazzone’s report, Rod on the coaching candidates: “I’m trying to ascertain who might have interest,” Thorn said. “We have some people we have interest in and then maybe some candidates you wouldn’t consider who might have an interest in it.”
Fred Kerber asks an executive their advice for Rod’s coaching search: “They have young players there; they’ve got a bunch of picks. Maybe they even trade a pick to get a coach,” the exec said. “But whoever they get is going to have to develop a lot of young guys and be the bridge until the move.”
Julian Garcia reports that the Nets are interested in Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau.
Dave D’Alessandro includes Rod’s plans for Chris Douglas-Roberts, who has a team option: “As of right now that decision has not been made. Because we don’t know exactly what we’re going to do. For a lot of these options, a lot will depend on … who are we (signing), who we might be able to sign, how much money that we’ll need. A lot of things that need to be firmed up.”
Former Duke players don’t see Coach K. leaving the university’s coaching ranks.
One Bleacher Report contributor believes the Nets will be in the NBA Finals in four years.
Freddy’s Bar, ground zero for the opposition to the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, is closing and relocating to Park Slope.
Nets on the Net: 4/14/10 Edition
Apr 14, 2010 Chris Douglas-Roberts, Devin Harris, Josh Boone, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net
The theme from the beat guys today is that this nightmare season is finally over. Here’s Devin Harris in Al Iannazzone’s write-up: “I think everybody sees it,” Devin Harris said. “We’ve underachieved. But everybody sees the potential we have, the room and the draft picks we have. We’re going to get better real fast.”
Dave D’Alessandro talks to Josh Boone: “People wonder how the season went this way, and I wish I can explain it,” said four-year veteran Josh Boone. “We have a lot of talent, to be honest with you — a lot of guys who can do a lot of things. It’s unfortunate the season went the way it did, but we’re obviously not a 12-win-talent team. There were other circumstances that led to this.
Fred Kerber, who’s had some of the best one-liners from the press box all season, gets one more shot in: “Imagine being hit in the head with a hammer. Over and over and over. Now imagine how good it would feel when it stops, and you have an idea how the Nets view the last game of the worst season in franchise history here tonight.”
Julian Garcia ponders Chris Douglas-Robert’s future: “Or they could let him go if they decide it’s not worth keeping a second-year swingman averaging 9.8 points and three rebounds while being outspoken and negative. Although Douglas-Roberts has been relatively quiet lately, he had a hard time hiding his disappointment – mostly in others and the team in general – for most of the season. It’s been difficult for him to find any positives about the Nets’ performance over the past few weeks, while others, such as second-year center Brook Lopez, have been optimistic.”
NJ Rep. Bill Pascrell, is still pushing for his investigation of Mikhail Prokhorov.
NetsDaily reports that Prokhorov will appoint a Russian woman from his Onexim group to direct the Nets’ business affairs once he takes over.
CDR Can Still Be Effective When He is Aggressive
Mar 22, 2010 Analysis, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Opinion
This post is a little late considering that it is from the Sixers game last Wednesday, but I still think that this is something we need to look at. This game Chris Douglas-Roberts had one of his “old games.” What I mean by this is that he was being efficient, attacking the basket, and getting himself to the foul line.
Before we get to the post, yes I know CDR finally got minutes and yes Devin Harris and Yi were out, but that isn’t why he was so successful against the Sixers. In my opinion, there is only one reason why CDR was so productive was that he was aggressive.
Even without the basketball, Chris Douglas-Roberts looked different. The past 30 or 40 games, CDR was kind of just standing in the corner, not really looking for the ball. Here, CDR just looks different. He is looking for an opportunity to cut, and as soon as he gets the ball he knows what to do with it. He quickly swings it to Hayes who knocks down the jumper.
Devin Harris Out Tonight
Mar 17, 2010 Chris Douglas-Roberts, Devin Harris, Terrence Williams
In case you missed it, Devin Harris is expected not to play tonight, according to the beat guys.
Meanwhile, over in Twitter-land, Chris Douglas-Roberts is making a case for Terrence Williams to become a starter.
Talking About Chris Douglas-Roberts…Again…
Mar 9, 2010 Chris Douglas-Roberts
With the Nets in Memphis last night to play the Grizzlies, I was expecting some news about CDR to come out of it. The city of Memphis loves CDR from his college years, and with him not getting much time fans are probably curious about why it is happening. This afternoon an article from Scott Cacciola of the Memphis Commercial Appeal popped up, and in it were some interesting quotes about the relationship between CDR and Kiki Vandeweghe. Here are some excerpts:
The disconnect between Douglas-Roberts and coach Kiki Vandeweghe could not have been more obvious. Not counting the two times Vandeweghe requested that Douglas-Roberts report to the scorer’s table, neither appeared to acknowledge the other’s existence. And while Vandeweghe has been diplomatic in his public remarks about Douglas-Roberts, their relationship is strained. It is one of the worst-kept secrets in the NBA.
When Douglas-Roberts was asked about the situation, he craned his neck to check if anyone was listening and lowered his voice to a whisper.
“It’s unique,” he said. “We talked a lot when he got here. But then he took over as the head coach, and it’s … it’s, uh, unique.”
…
Under Frank, Douglas-Roberts averaged 16.3 points on 14.3 shots per game. Under Vandeweghe, he is averaging 8.3 points on 7.7 shots per game. And his playing time continues to deteriorate. In February, he averaged just 3.3 points on 39-percent shooting in 14.4 minutes per game.
He also was benched twice, and that included the Nets’ 104-94 loss to the visiting Grizzlies on Feb. 21. Vandeweghe told reporters it was the result of an “internal matter,” which provided at least an indication of the turmoil that has hindered the Nets – and CDR, in particular – this season.
“I’m fully aware of what’s going on,” Douglas-Roberts said. “Earlier in the year, I was really successful. The first 30 or 35 games, I was averaging 17 a game. But we were still losing. And then the coaching change, and he came in with a different system, philosophy. Basically I had to take a backseat.”
Asked how the system is different, Douglas-Roberts said: “It’s more of an inside-out team. We have a great big in Brook Lopez. And another young big in Yi Jianlian. And then basically we have to play through them, which is fine. But I’m suffering a little from that.”
…
Douglas-Roberts, during his cameos, often stationed himself outside the 3-point arc along the baseline. He looked almost uncomfortable.
“I don’t really know what my role is,” he said. “I just go in there and, you know, play while I’m in there. It’s not really an established role like it was earlier in the year. So I just go out there and try to play and help us out however I can.”
That is a lot to take in, so let’s look at each individual topic.
The Disconnect
CDR has been saying something to this effect for a while now. I don’t know what happens behind the scenes, but I have been to a couple of practices and to me it doesn’t seem like Kiki is going out of his way to talk to him, but he isn’t going out of his way to avoid him. Again, just based on my observations it seems that CDR is more of the initiator of the disconnect. It all probably started after Kiki’s first benching of CDR. I am not saying he needs to be happy, but it is pretty important to have a working relationship with your coach, and if the coach doesn’t feel like he can trust a player to listen to him, he isn’t going to play him. It is that simple. The problem is that the more CDR sits, the more introverted he becomes.
The System
This has been CDR’s biggest complaint of the season and of Kiki. That Kiki’s decision to play inside-out is disrespectful to CDR and his game, but in all actuality this was the decision that turned the Nets’ season around (from 0 wins to now 7). The fact that CDR still spouts off his scoring average after the first 30 games off the top of his head is troubling. He seems to be hanging on to that despite not doing what got him there. Ever since Yi returned and Kiki decided to play inside-out, Kiki has lost that aggression and willingness to attack the basket. That’s why his shots and his scoring have gone down. The shots are out there (especially now that the Nets need a 4th scorer with Yi out). Even the Memphis paper admitted this:
Douglas-Roberts is a slasher, not a distributor. But there does seem to be room in Vandeweghe’s system for guards and wings who are capable scorers. Against the Grizzlies, swingman Courtney Lee scored 30 points on 13-of-20 shooting and point guard Devin Harris added 28 – though, in fairness, they had to take on more responsibility because Jianlian was sidelined with an injury.
CDR’s Role
This seems to be CDR’s new complaint about the Nets and Kiki. That CDR doesn’t know his role anymore, as if it is an excuse for him to stand out beyond the three point line when he is in. I have an idea for CDR, if he doesn’t know his role, why doesn’t he ask his coach? Oh yeah, I forgot, their relationship is “unique”. Not knowing his role shouldn’t prevent him from doing things like boxing out (gave up a key rebound in the fourth quarter against Memphis) when he is in the game.
—
Talking about CDR and his complaints about the Nets is getting old. It seems like he needs to come up with a new excuse or reason why he isn’t playing (or playing well) about every month. CDR is a guy with a chip on his shoulder, and rightfully so. That chip is what makes CDR a potentially special player, but he needs to realize that not everyone is against him, especially his teammates and coaches.